Hannah Critchlow is an award-winning neuroscientist and broadcaster, recognised by many for her work as Science Outreach Fellow at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge. She has also appeared as a neuroscience expert on BBC, ABC and International TV and radio. Known for translating complex scientific research into practical insights for business, Hannah is a widely sought-after speaker due to her extensive academic and broadcasting experience.
After earning a PhD in Neuropsychiatry from the University of Cambridge, Hannah held leadership roles as a Strategic Manager of Cambridge Neuroscience and Neuroscience Strategic Manager at the British Neuroscience Association. Starting her broadcasting career, she was a Neuroscience Producer and Presenter for The Naked Scientists, creating content broadcast on the BBC and Australian ABC. Hannah has also presented several programmes on BBC television and radio, including Tomorrow’s World Live, Destiny and the Brain, Family Brain Games with Dara Ó Briain and Start the Week. Continuing to make advances in neuroscience, Hannah currently serves as a Fellow at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge and a consultant for businesses, helping scientists to enhance their communication skills.
A highly acclaimed scientist, Hannah has received many prestigious honours, including being listed as a Top 100 UK Scientist by the UK Science Council, named by Nature as one of Cambridge University's 'Rising Stars in Life Sciences' and is due to receive the Rosalind Franklin Medal from the Humanist Society in 2026. Also an award-winning author, she has published five books, including Sunday Times Bestsellers ‘The 21st Century Brain’, ‘The Science of Fate’ and ‘Joined Up Thinking’, which won the Sirdar Book of the Month. In recognition of her work in science communication, Hannah was awarded an honorary degree from Brunel University in 2022.
Knowledgeable on topics such as neuroscience, AI and human intelligence, Hannah has spoken at various conferences, including Science World, NEXT and Greenbelt Festival, as well as facilitating live broadcast scientific discussion panels. She also delivered the TEDx talk ‘How our brains shape our destiny’, exploring how neuroscience shapes our lives. Hire Hannah today; the ideal speaker for a range of events, from educational talks to scientific conventions.
Books
Brainwave: Find your focus and unleash your brain’s superpowers
The 21st Century Brain: How to Future-Proof Your Mind in the Age of AI
Joined-Up Thinking: The Science of Collective Intelligence and its Power to Change Our Lives
The Science of Fate: The New Science of Who We Are - And How to Shape our Best Future
Consciousness: A Ladybird Expert Book
Official Feedback From In-Person & Virtual Events
“Hannah is a top professional – diligent and easy to work with. Hannah has the ability to simplify complex neuroscience into content that is easily digestible. She delivered a fantastic session full of knowledge and practical ideas for leaders to take away and use immediately.” – Brendan Barns, Founder London Business Forum
“We’ve worked with Hannah for 4 years….she has an exceptional ability to communicate complicated ideas about science and technology in a way that speaks to the general public and to schools audiences. She’s lectured about developments in neuroscience at Hay several times to audiences of 1,000 and 1,750. It’s a scale that’s challenging for most teachers. She works the space like a rockstar. Each time she has had the highest possible response rating from the audiences, both from students and from professional adults.” – Peter Florence, Director of the Hay Festival
“Hannah was one of our favourite ever speakers at 5×15- she’s dynamic, and an incredible communicator of complex and profound ideas. She wowed our audience in Hackney with her laughing rats and astounding insights into the human brain- we can’t wait for her to come back to join us again.” – Daisy Leitch: Director of 5 x 15
“Hannah has been a leading presenter at the Cambridge Science Festival for many years, and thousands of people from schools and family audiences have really enjoyed her interactive demonstration lectures. Hannah’s clear and lively communication style has brought the subject of neuroscience alive and her popular talks have received great feedback. Hannah also carried out a number of thoughtful and targeted public engagement activities with community groups including Squeaky Gate, a charity empowering people including those with mental health issues through arts and music.” – Nicky Buckley, Former Head of Public Engagement, University of Cambridge
“The human brain is one of those subjects of such forbidding complexity that anything less than a clear, engaging, approachable and intelligent talk would leave an audience staring blankly at an imponderable galaxy of neurons and synapses. Hannah Critchlow’s lecture, to several hundred A-level Biology students, more than exceeded these testing requirements. She has the rare and important quality of being able to distil even the most recondite ideas for an audience beyond the laboratory and in doing so reminding a young audience that scientific inquiry is for anyone who is curious. It’s particularly exhilarating to see a group of students being guided expertly through the great leaps in understanding made in neuroscience, to learn about the truly wondrous advances still to be made and perhaps to wonder if they could be the ones who will be making the discoveries of the future.” – Dan Powell, Director of A’Level Science Live
“Hannah gave a talk at the How To Academy’s annual Conference on How To Change the World and she was absolutely fabulous. It was a totally inspiring talk that had the audience completely rapt. She is the most brilliant communicator of science.” – John Gordon, Director of the How to Change the World Academy
“Hannah Critchlow is the most brilliantly engaging speaker. She wowed a Shambala crowd of 200 at the festival in 2018, and we couldn’t wait to have her back this year. One of our absolute highlights of last year.” – Sophie Chatz, Shambala Festival programmer
- 2026 - Authored book 'Brainwave: Find your focus and unleash your brain’s superpowers'
- 2026 - Published Sunday Times Bestselling book 'The 21st Century Brain: How to Future-Proof Your Mind in the Age of AI'
- 2022 - Awarded Honorary Degree from Brunel University
- 2022 - Published book 'Joined-Up Thinking: The Science of Collective Intelligence and its Power to Change Our Lives'
- 2019 - Named by Nature as one of Cambridge University’s ‘Rising Stars in Life Sciences’
- 2019 - Published Sunday Times Bestseller 'The Science of Fate: The New Science of Who We Are - And How to Shape our Best Future'
- 2019 - Presented documentary series The Secret Life of.....Series on Channel 4
- 2019 - Elected member of the European Dana Alliance of the Brain
- 2019 - Presented BBC 2 series Family Brain Games with Dara Ó Briain
- 2018 - Joined judging panel for Wellcome Trust Science Book Prize
- 2018 - Authored 'Consciousness: A Ladybird Expert Book'
- 2017 - Co-Presented new series of BBC Tomorrow's World Live
- 2017 - Fellow at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge
- 2014 - Listed as Top 100 UK scientist by UK Science Council
- 2013 - Named one of Cambridge University’s most ‘inspirational and successful women in science'
- 2011 - Neuroscience Producer & Presenter for The Naked Scientists
- 2009 - Neuroscience Strategic Manager at British Neuroscience Association
- 2008 - Strategic Manager of Neuroscience at University of Cambridge
- 2008 - Awarded Doctorate in neuroscience from Cambridge University
How to hire Hannah Critchlow
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Hannah Critchlow for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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